This “better” saying is much briefer than that of verse 17, though it is similar to verse 16a. On Wisdom see verse 16; it includes all that the sages taught. When Qoheleth says that Wisdom is better than weapons of war, he means that it is more powerful or more useful. Weapons of war, or “instruments of war,” were much more basic than those of modern times, though effective for attack and defense. The noun weapons requires the qualification that they are used for military purposes, not just for self-defense. In some cases this line will have to be expanded: “being wise” can substitute for Wisdom, “makes a person more powerful” can replace better, and so on.

Suggested translations are:

• Wisdom is more powerful than any kind of weapon.

• Wisdom is the most powerful weapon.

• If a person is wise, that person is more powerful than someone with weapons for fighting.

But one sinner destroys much good adds something to what Qoheleth said in the first part of the verse, a feature we noted in verse 16. Its function is to present another truth which balances that of the first half. Thus the contrastive conjunction but is used. The statement weighs one sinner with much good and finds that the sinner is heavier. Of course this is not true all the time, but it is true quite often and so is another principle that has to be taken into account. Throughout wisdom writing sinner is equivalent to “fool,” and good is the equal of “wise.” In drawing attention to these two types of people, Qoheleth is actually comparing their behavior, not just themselves as people. The contrast between the words one and the much is a further feature of the expression, indicating that even a small amount of wrong can cancel out much good. The destructive power of the one foolish act is conveyed by a special form of the verb “to perish.” In this context the verb form takes on a causative meaning, “destroy.” The destructive nature of a little sinning can be rendered by a strong verbal expression such as “destroy completely,” or “completely wipe out.”

For translation the entire verse can read:

• Wisdom is more powerful than weapons of war, but [even] one foolish act can destroy [the achievements of] many good deeds.

• Being wise makes one more powerful than someone with weapons, but [even] one fool can destroy much of the good that a person can do.

The two principles found in these “better” sayings introduce 10.1-20 by identifying its twin themes. The wise person has a powerful weapon, his wisdom, but there is always the possibility that one foolish act can spoil much of the good achieved. So Qoheleth calls the wise to be vigilant, and to ensure that they do not commit even the smallest of indiscretions.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .